Floyd Mayweather: ‘This is a beautiful art and people want to pay to see it’

AFTER their international four-city press tour, Floyd Mayweather insists he still does not know much about Conor McGregor and has attempted to explain why he is such a huge pay-per-view draw.

The two polarising combatants made headlines all over the world over the past week during an expletive-laden tour that saw them hit Los Angeles, Toronto, Brooklyn and London.

Despite spending so much time with the Irishman, Mayweather has not gleaned much from the last few days but knows this – plenty of people will tune in on August 26.

“I don’t really know him. I’m not trying to be funny or disrespectful but I really don’t know him, I don’t know much about him,” he said.

“I heard about him fighting in the UFC. He can fight and he’s tough but he’s also an entertainer. There are a lot of UFC fighters that are undefeated, than can fight, but you don’t have the gift of the gab, you don’t have that certain personality, that same swag just like me.

“You got fighters in boxing ‘oh my god, 33 fights, I got 33 knockouts.’ Guess what? We’re selling the same thing but you don’t got the same sales pitch that I got. You knocking people out but they want to see you fight for free. I don’t have to knock ‘em out, this is a beautiful art and people wanna pay to see it.”

The fight is on Showtime pay-per-view in the States and is expected to feature on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK.

Mayweather, 40, has been criticised for coming out of retirement to fight UFC lightweight champion McGregor, who has never boxed beyond novice level as an amateur.

The unbeaten American maintains that this will be his final fight, while also shrugging off concerns that such a mismatch will harm his legacy.

“It’s a job. This is my last fight after years and years and years of travelling and getting out there. I shook Al Haymon’s hand and promised him this would be my last fight,” he said.

“I thought the [Andre] Berto fight was my last fight but I’m a businessman, I do good business. The fans demanded this fight.

“My legacy, if I’m not mistaken, I’m sure-fire Hall of Fame as if not the best then one of the best. My legacy is gonna say that of all the fighters in the sport of boxing Floyd Mayweather was the smartest, not just in the ring but on the outside as well.”